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Sims, Paulo suspended; Starling cleared

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Cowboys forward Tariq Sims will miss Monday night's clash with Penrith after being found guilty of a crusher tackle by the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night.

Sims was hit with a Grade 1 dangerous contact charge on Tigers centre Tim Simona in last Saturday's blowout win in Townsville, but failed to overturn the charge at Rugby League Central and will now miss one game.

Cowboys coach Paul Green said he was disappointed with the outcome.

"I thought the video clearly showed Tariq took every duty of care he could to make sure Tim Simona wasn't put in a dangerous position," he told the club website.

"I think Simona certainly contributed to putting himself in that position. Attacking players are trying to find their front to get a quick play-the-ball and I think that was definitely the case with Simona."

It was better news for Junior Paulo however with the Eels prop successfully downgrading his dangerous throw charge on Raiders prop Brett White and will miss only one game for the Eels. Paulo would have been looking at a month on the sideline if he was unsuccessful with the his challenge.

Manly prop Josh Starling was also cleared by the judiciary with his crusher tackle on Rabbitohs' five-eighth Luke Keary ruled to be not suspension-worthy. Starling however will still have 75 carry over points due to another incident that occurred in the Sea Eagles same game against this past Friday night.

Bulldogs five-eighth Josh Reynolds, Rabbitohs prop George Burgess and Sharks prop Sam Tagataese have all taken early guilty pleas and will serve a combined nine weeks on the sidelines.

Reynolds will miss three games having taken the early plea to both charges levelled at him in the Bulldogs' loss to the Broncos on Friday night for dangerous contact on Sam Thaiday and a Grade 2 tripping charge on Ben Barba.

The next game Reynolds will be eligible to play will be the Bulldogs' Round 26 clash with the Titans.

Burgess will sit out the Rabbitohs' next two games, having opted not to challenge the Grade 2 Dangerous Contact charge for his part in a chicken wing tackle on Manly centre Steve Matai.

Teammate Issac Luke is free to play after also taking the early plea.

Cronulla's Tagataese has copped a four-week suspension for his dangerous throw on the Warriors Dane Nielson, meaning the prop has played his last game for 2014.

The Dragons' Dan Hunt and Storm prop Tim Glasby have also both entered early guilty pleas to Grade 1 careless high tackle charges and are free to play this weekend.